Check out a recent article from myself and my colleague, Ben Jones, on the 2018 Farm Bill.
General Industry
A Top Lawyer in Marijuana Law for the Fourth Year in a Row

Congratulations to Steve Levine for being named as a Top Lawyer in Marijuana Law by 5280 Magazine for the fourth year in a row. Since 2010, Steve’s major focus has been on the ever-changing cannabis industry where he keeps abreast of the shifting regulations governing the sale and use of cannabis in both the marijuana…
Industrial Hemp: On the Brink of Legalization
After a lengthy compromise process, The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (the 2018 Farm Bill) was passed on December 12, 2018 by Congress and delivered to the White House for the President to sign. The 2018 Farm Bill will replace the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2014, which expired on September 30, 2018. Distributing more than $850 billion, the 2018 Farm Bill is an enormous piece of legislation and funds programs such as crop insurance, school lunches, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
Integrated into the massive omnibus Farm Bill is the bipartisan Hemp Farming Act of 2018, spearheaded by Senator Mitch McConnell. The Hemp Farming Act will legalize at the federal level the production of industrial hemp, defined as Cannabis sativa L. plants containing less than three-tenths of a percent of THC, the intoxicating chemical in marijuana. The low concentration of THC makes these plants unsuitable for marijuana production, which remains federally illegal.
First and foremost, the 2018 Farm Bill will abolish this inconsistent treatment by removing industrial hemp from the definition of “marihuana” in the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). In addition, tetrahydrocannabinols contained in industrial hemp will be removed from the purview of the CSA. This amendment to the CSA will decriminalize the production and use of the Cannabis sativa L. plant and its derived products that match the definition of industrial hemp, such as hemp seed oil, CBD oil, hemp fibers and hemp paper.…
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Potential Employer Issues Posed by Medical Marijuana
Husch Blackwell employment law attorney Chris Ottele was featured in the November 7, 2018 issue of the Kansas City Business Journal. Chris speaks about potential employer issues posed by medical marijuana as Missouri voters have signed off on legalizing medical marijuana. Read the full article here.

Due Diligence in Cannabis Transactions
While the basic principles of due diligence still apply, vetting existing marijuana and hemp businesses presents some unique variables and risks.
The cannabis industry is expected to grow exponentially over the next decade. Cutting a deal at this stage could potentially reap outsized rewards, but as ever, deals carry with them a certain element of
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Election Re-cap: Green Wave

Last week we summarized the various states that had marijuana or industrial hemp on their ballot this mid-term season. Voters in four of the five states with marijuana or industrial hemp on the ballot passed their various measures.
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Marijuana in the Midterms

Cannabis is a hot topic in the news. On October 17, 2018, our friends to the north made headlines when cannabis was officially legalized for adult use. As the November 6 midterm elections draw closer in the United States, we’ve compiled a round-up of ballot initiatives across the country that will ask voters to weigh in on a variety of marijuana and industrial hemp initiatives.
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Cannabis-Related Local Ballot Measures Hit All-Time High in California

Ballotpedia.com maintains a database of local ballot measures extending back to the beginning of the century. According to the website, there have been 164 cannabis-related local ballot measures in California since 2000. Amazingly, 77 of them—or 47 percent—appeared this year, a remarkable spike in number.
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Husch Blackwell Cannabis Attorney Featured on Slate.com
On Sunday, October 21, Slate.com (an online magazine of news, politics, technology and culture) published a podcast highlighting Marshall Custer in our Husch Blackwell Cannabis group. Marshall speaks about what it’s like to be a lawyer in the marijuana business. Click here to listen to the podcast.
Husch Blackwell Sponsors Q4 Northern California Cannabis Caucus
Husch Blackwell is proud to support @TheNCIA Northern California #CannabisCaucus on Tuesday, October 9 in Santa Rosa, CA. NCIA’s Cannabis Caucus event series has quickly become the gold standard event for professionals serving the cannabis industry! Join the industry’s most influential leaders for an evening of hors d’oeurves, cocktails (cash bar) and the latest organizational…